


Why Do I Feel Fine?

by katherine_tag



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: Animal Attack, Crew as Family, Dubious Science, Gen, Misses Clause Challenge, the animal lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28124793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katherine_tag/pseuds/katherine_tag
Summary: The crew discovers they may have brought back more than they bargained for after a brief vacation.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 8
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Why Do I Feel Fine?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Isis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isis/gifts).



> Thank you very much to [mlraven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlraven/pseuds/mlraven) for the beta and the encouragement!

Five

"So, what's on the docket for today?" 

Five looked up at Six, who was pouring himself a cup of coffee at the counter. She poked at her oatmeal, deciding she didn't need to eat the last few bites. Pushing the bowl away, she said, "There's a market on the main island that might be fun to check out. Since we're leaving tomorrow."

They had all decided that a few days planetside would do everyone good over Three's protests that he was, _"Fine, just fine, geez, can't a guy recover in peace around here?" _. Android had stayed with the ship, but all six of them - Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Nyx, had flown down to a small group of islands just south of the equator on Lyssa 7. Most of the planet was ocean, except for a large continent on the opposite side of the islands. The small GA office had its hands full with the spaceport on the mainland, and didn't have the resources to patrol the rest of the planet with any regularity. Two had speculated that they were also used for smuggling and other less-than-legal activities, since their position on the planet meant skirting the station and therefore the long-seeing eye of the GA was possible.__

__The archipelago, seen from the Marauder, resembled a quotation mark. The two larger islands were so close you could stand on the shore and have a shouted conversation with someone on the opposite island. The larger of the two supported a small population that lived there year round, mainly subsistence farmers and fishers, as well as local crafts and tourist accommodations. The smaller islands curved in two parallel commas, and were mostly only used for day trips and camping. They were staying in a house on one of the small islands, tucked away from prying eyes._ _

__"You want a ride?" Six set his coffee on the table and pulled out a chair. "I saw a little motorboat at the dock behind the house and I was thinking of going fishing today."_ _

__"I'd like that." Five smiled, and Six's face lit up with a smile of his own._ _

__Their relationship had been strained after Six had betrayed them to the GA. Five could feel herself holding back, rebuffing his friendly overtures more often than not. She understood he thought he had been doing the right thing. But she also still felt hurt about how he had treated her, like she was a child incapable of deciding for herself. They all did that, of course. But it hurt most coming from Six, who, out of all of the Raza's crew, she had felt the closest to._ _

__She pushed out her chair and picked up her bowl. "See you in about an hour?"_ _

__"I'll be there."_ _

__\---  
Two_ _

__Two finished her run at the small private beach behind the house. She jogged slowly to a stop, breathing hard. It was nice to run out in the open air instead of doing cardio on board the Raza. The entire island was probably only five kilometers around, but there was a narrow trail that circumnavigated most of it that she had used every morning for the past three days._ _

__The beach was a tempting strip of shining white sand that met clear blue water, hemmed in on either side by the trees that grew right up to the tide line. The trees looked like nothing she had seen before, long thin spires of dark green needles stretching over the top of the brighter green undergrowth._ _

__Four was doing katas by himself farther down the beach, but Two didn't disturb him. He had been colder, more taciturn lately, even with Nyx. He was somehow different from the Four who had laughed with her and Nyx over drinks in a bar, had quietly taught Five to defend herself, had always had her back in a fight, but she couldn't quite put her finger on how, or why. She turned the question over in her mind as she walked along the beach to cool down, just out of reach of the waves._ _

__She pivoted to retrace her steps as Five came out of the house. They waved at each other, and met at the umbrella she had put up the first night after Three had fallen asleep in the sun and given himself an impressive sunburn._ _

__"Hi, Two!"_ _

__"Hey." The break had been good for all of them, Two thought, studying Five's face. Her eyes were lit up with her smile, and the bounce was back in her step._ _

__"Six and I are going to check out the market on the big island this morning, you want anything?" Five had a small backpack slung over one shoulder, her ubiquitous long sleeve shirt tied around her waist despite the expected heat of the afternoon._ _

__"Why don't you get some fruit we can take back with us?" Even Four got tired of protein bars eventually, and fresh produce wasn't always easy to get at the ports they frequented. "Are you going right now?"_ _

__"Sure thing! We're meeting in a little bit. I've got time to enjoy the water first." Five toed off her shoes, kicking them close to the umbrella stand._ _

__"Have fun," Two told her, before heading back to the house._ _

__Six was the only one awake, drinking coffee and looking at a tablet at the kitchen table. Three and Nyx were late risers if they had a choice, it seemed. Though, Two supposed in Three's case it was more to do with his injury than personal preference. She had noted the careful way Three still held himself. She thought the bullet wound wasn't as healed as Three would have them believe, exacerbated as it was by his and Five's footrace through the woods to escape the GA._ _

__It was the primary reason she had asked Tabor to set them up with a safe place to relax, but the truth was they all needed the break. She poured herself a cup of water, drinking it over the sink before grabbing a mug and filling it with coffee. There was just enough left in the pot to fill her mug._ _

__She and Six drank their coffee in companionable silence. She could sense he was trying to be patient with them, waiting for them to come to terms with his betrayal of the Raza and then subsequent double-cross of the GA. He had clearly thrown his lot in with them now, and she appreciated it, she really did. But ... it was hard to trust again. There was always that doubt niggling in the back of her mind, whispering to her. And she had so much to lose, more than she thought Portia Lin, in that other life, had ever had._ _

__Three wandered in, bleary eyed and yawning. "Coffee." He lifted the carafe in one hand and frowned._ _

__"I didn't save you any," Two said. She took a slow, deliberate sip of her own coffee._ _

__Three made an aggrieved noise. "Thanks a lot, boss lady." He set about making a fresh pot._ _

__Two shrugged. "You snooze, you lose."_ _

__Six laughed. "The early bird gets the coffee," he said._ _

__"Some of us have been up for hours." Four came into the kitchen, squeezing past Three to fill a glass of water at the sink._ _

__"Just because none of you know how to actually relax," Three grumbled._ _

__He looked so much better, Two thought, less haggard and tired. She had suggested this trip for all of them, but especially Three. Since they had woken up without their memories, it had just been one damn thing after another, with barely time to take a breath. He had hidden it pretty well, but his recovery had been slower than she liked. The time away, free of, for the moment, pursuit and threats, had done them all good._ _

__"Says the guy who still sleeps with a gun under his pillow," she said sardonically._ _

__"Oh, like you don't." Three poured cream into his coffee, grinning over his shoulder at her._ _

__"Not under my pillow," she hedged._ _

__"No comment," Six said._ _

__"Knives are less lumpy," Four said. "Quieter, too."_ _

__They all turned to look at him. Four put his empty water glass down on the counter. "What? It's true."_ _

__"He's got a point." Six tapped his tablet off._ _

__"Probably several," Two said, deadpan._ _

__Three was the first to get it, letting out a loud, "Ha!" as he sat down next to her at the table._ _

__Four chuckled, and Six joined in with his deeper laugh. Two smiled, taking another sip of her coffee. Yes, she thought, it had been the right call. They'd go back tomorrow, rested and ready to take on whatever was coming next._ _

__\---  
Android_ _

__It's not that she was bored, because, as an Android, boredom was impossible. Oh, she understood the concept, but on the ship the size of the Raza, there was always something to do. And with her crew and their many adventures, always something else to research or learn._ _

__So it was not that she was bored. No, it was just that the ship seemed so empty and quiet, with all of them gone. Plus, normally they were gone on a job, and she was monitoring their comms, running interference with the GA, and providing backup as necessary. Now, though, they did not need back up. They were on vacation._ _

__She was still monitoring the GA frequencies, of course. It had been a quiet few days. Lyssa 7 was an unimportant planet, strategically, and there was not a lot of radio chatter._ _

__"Perhaps I will inventory the pantry," she said out loud. She had already completely reorganized the infirmary, and the cargo hold. The pantry shouldn't take too long._ _

__She walked purposefully toward the mess. "And then," she said, "online shopping."_ _

__\---  
Five_ _

__Wandering through the small market, Five hummed happily to herself. She had a wishlist in mind, but wasn't really looking for anything in particular. She stopped at a booth with stacked boxes of electronic parts and poked through the top layer of one of the boxes._ _

__"Looking for anything in particular, young lady?" the vendor asked her, not bothering to get up out of their collapsible chair._ _

__"Just browsing." Five's attention was already caught by the shiny baubles in the next booth twinkling in the sun. They were intricate mechanical puzzles. Some were boxes like the one Four had in his quarters, and some were beautiful geometric shapes interlocking together. On a whim, she picked up a small puzzle shaped like some kind of complicated molecule. It fit into the palm of her hand, the metal cool and smooth against her skin. She handed over some credits to the vendor and put it in her pocket._ _

__She reached the end of the row and settled against a low rock wall to people-watch for a while, settling her small rucksack on the wall close by. She wasn't meeting Six back at the dock for at least an hour. He had dropped her off on the mainland and gone to catch them a fish or two for dinner. As much as Five loved them all, it was nice to see some different faces than her crewmates, every once in a while._ _

__She amused herself by making up stories about the people browsing in the market. "That one is secretly in love with his best friend," she said to herself. The two men, both with the dark skin and long braids common on Lyssa 7, haggled with a clothing vendor, oblivious to their tragically one sided love affair._ _

__An elderly person testing fruit for ripeness became an infamous corporate double agent. The young mother with a tottering child clutching her hand had recently discovered an aptitude for wood carving._ _

__A burst of childish laughter caught Five's attention. She glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. Three kids, two boys and a girl, were huddled around something on the ground on the other side of the wall. She was about to go back to people watching when she heard an angry animal noise and one of the boys yelled, shaking his hand._ _

__Five swung her legs over the back of the wall and hurried over. "What are you doing?" she demanded._ _

__The kids scattered, each one heading in a different direction. Five let them go, ignoring their hasty retreat in favor of crouching down to see what they had been teasing._ _

__It was a tiny thing, with light golden fur and large, round, brown eyes. It glared up at her, crouching on its back legs and crossing its arms over its head defensively. "Hello there," Five said._ _

__The creature meeped at her. It tensed, as if it wanted to run but couldn't decide where._ _

__Five sat down cross legged on the ground. "You're okay now. I scared those bullies away." She pulled the puzzle out of her pocket and examined it closely, keeping one eye on the creature. It was slowly relaxing, lowering its arms and cocking its head in curiosity as the metal of the puzzle flashed in the sun. She traced one of the pieces with her finger, trying to see how it all fit together. Pulling experimentally on one of the arms, she heard a soft clink and the puzzle fell to pieces in her hand._ _

__"Oh," Five said. She stared at the pieces in her hand, still seeing it whole in her mind._ _

__The creature had taken a step or two back at the noise. It gripped the low hanging branch of a bush and slowly pulled itself up. It was still peering at her, but it backed away, under the cover of more branches, as she stood up._ _

__"Well, see you around, little friend." She climbed up to perch on the wall again, leaning her elbows on her knees and trying to see if she could fit the puzzle pieces back together. She heard a soft rustling noise in the underbrush, barely discernible over the noise of the marketplace, but didn't turn around. It was probably just the creature, returning to the forest._ _

__After a while, she jumped off the wall to pick up her backpack, which had fallen to the ground behind her. She walked back to the dock, fingering the metal pieces in her pocket thoughtfully, to find Six already in the boat and waiting for her._ _

__"Ready to go?" he asked. A canvas bag full of fruit and vegetables was sitting next to a bucket of fish on the floor of the small craft._ _

__"Yup!" She stepped gingerly into the boat and sat down, putting her bag securely between her feet._ _

__Six steered the boat away from the dock. "Did you get anything fun?" he asked. "I found more of those weird fruit things Two liked."_ _

__"I got this puzzle." Five pulled the metal pieces out of her pocket, showing them in the flat of her palm to Six._ _

__He raised his eyebrows. "That's a puzzle?"_ _

__"Yeah. It kind of looks like a molecule when it's put together. I think this swoopy bit goes here." She managed to fit two pieces together, but they wouldn't stay connected without another piece to support them._ _

__"If you say so."_ _

__It was a short ride. Before Five had solved the puzzle, Six was maneuvering the boat up to the little dock on their island. She shoved the pieces back in her pocket as Six fastened the boat to one of the pylons. He got out of the boat first, stepping quickly and smoothly up to the dock. Leaning down, Six gave her his hand to help her out of the boat and onto the dock._ _

__"Thanks." Five slung her bag over her shoulder and handed the bag of fruit to Six._ _

__"Anytime you need a chauffeur, just ask."_ _

__They walked back up to the house while, behind them, a small, golden haired creature peeped over the side of the boat, watching them go with large, unblinking eyes._ _

__\---  
Two_ _

__"Is that everything?" Two hefted her duffle bag and took one last look around the room she had shared with Five._ _

__"Pretty sure." Five had her own backpack already over her shoulders, and was carrying another small one in her hand._ _

__Most of the crew had spent the morning cleaning the house, an unspoken agreement to leave as little evidence of their residence there as possible. Four and Nyx had disappeared early on, Four's face studiously blank and Nyx's mouth pressed together in a tight, thin line. Two assumed it was to continue the whispered argument she’d interrupted in the kitchen._ _

__She wasn't sure what was going on there, but she made a note to keep an eye on things. Nyx was a good addition to the crew, and she didn't want to lose her over an inter-crew relationship gone wrong._ _

__Six was in the Marauder already when she and Five stepped on board. He flicked some switches above his head and Two felt the vibration of the engines warming up under her feet. "I'll be sad to leave this place behind," he said._ _

__Two dropped her duffle on the floor behind the last row of seats. "It was nice to have a break."_ _

__"It will be nicer to get back home, though." Five flopped into the co-pilot's chair, dropping her own bags on the floor next to her._ _

__"I've gotta say, I miss that old bucket of bolts more than I thought I would." Three strode up the ramp. His sunburn had faded to a pink strip across his nose, and he was smiling._ _

__"Did you see Nyx and Four on your way out?" Two asked._ _

__"Yeah." Three's face clouded briefly. "Didn't look too friendly. They're coming."_ _

__Five was fiddling with some metal pieces she had pulled out of her pocket. "I hope everything is okay."_ _

__"They'll work it out," Six said. "They're good for each other."_ _

__Two hummed, but didn't add any reassurances. She wasn't so sure. Sleeping with crewmates complicated things. Her mind flashed back to One, just for a moment, before she pushed the memory down again. Complications. This had the potential to be very messy, she thought._ _

__Four and Nyx walked up the ramp in a tense silence that settled over the Marauder like a cloud. Five cast a worried glance at them, then back at Two._ _

__Six checked the read-out on the screen in front of him carefully and said, "Ready to go?"_ _

__Two touched her comm. "Raza, this is Two, come in."_ _

__Android's voice was a welcome sound in her ear. "Two, this is the Raza, go ahead."_ _

__"We're packed up and ready to go." Two settled into the seat behind Three as Six flicked a switch to seal the doors._ _

__"Understood. It will be good to have all of you back on board."_ _

__Smiling, Two switched off her comm and leaned back in her seat. As the ramp closed, she thought she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look back, but nothing else moved as the ramp sealed. She didn't notice a tiny hand, gripping the edge of a compartment and closing it softly as the Marauder lifted off. No one did. The creature curled up tight in its hiding place, waiting._ _

__\---  
Android_ _

__Standing in her customary pose, feet hip width apart and arms clasped behind her back, Android waited for the airlock to cycle open. She was not impatient. She was just ready to have her crew back on board, safe under her protection._ _

__Four was the first through, striding past her with a curt nod. The rest followed one by one. Nyx nodded to her as well, with significantly more warmth. Two smiled and said, "Good to see you." Three brushed past her with a wink. Five and Six came out together, Six catching Five's backpack as she dropped it to hug Android tightly._ _

__"I missed you."_ _

__Android put her arms around Five's shoulders. "I missed you, too. You must tell me all about Lyssa 7 and what it was like. I do not think I have ever experienced a beach."_ _

__"Three got sunburned." Five's voice was muffled._ _

__Android looked over her shoulder. "There was nothing to indicate that the Lyssa system emitted more UV spectrum light than was considered safe for human exposure." She wondered if she had missed something in her research. A mistake? She made a note in her private log._ _

__"It's fine, Android," Six reassured her. "He just fell asleep in the sun the first day we were there."_ _

__Five pulled out of the hug, accepting her backpack back from Six with a smile. "Two set up an umbrella after that."_ _

__"I see."_ _

__"Well," Six said, "I'm going to go unpack, see if I can get first dibs on the laundry."_ _

__Five waved as he walked away from them down the corridor. "The trees were really weird," she told Android. "Like something out of an old vid."_ _

__Android held up a hand to stop Five as an anomaly pinged on her feed. "There is another lifeform aboard the Marauder."_ _

__Five's eyes widened. She turned around, peering into the airlock. "Someone else -"_ _

__"No," Android interrupted. "It is too small to be humanoid. I believe it is an animal of some kind."_ _

__A curious trilling noise echoed through the airlock. "Oh!" Five exclaimed. Before Android could stop her, she ran into the airlock, stopping in front of a small golden creature with large, luminous eyes. "It's you!" she said._ _

__The creature blinked up at her, then stood up on its hind legs and raised its arms to Five. It looked like a human child asking to be carried._ _

__"Do not touch it," Android said, as Five reached down._ _

__"Don't worry." Five picked the creature up. It clung solemnly to her hands with surprisingly small and delicate fingers. "I rescued it from some kids at the marketplace and it must have followed me back to the house." She held the creature up at eye level. "Did you stow away in my bag?" she asked. "Clever girl."_ _

__"Five." Android walked closer, instructing the Raza to scan the creature for identifiable threats. "We should take it back to its home planet."_ _

__The creature hissed at her, then hid its face in Five's neck._ _

__"But," Five started._ _

__Android sighed. "At least let me scan it in the infirmary," she said. "And then you will have to talk to Two."_ _

__Five's smile was wide and bright. "I'm going to call her Miki," she said._ _

__\---  
Five_ _

__Three stopped dead in the open door of the mess. "What the hell is _that_?" He pointed at the creature, currently snuffling curiously at the pieces of fruit on Five's plate._ _

__"This is Miki." Five patted the creature's head, and it meeped, jumping off the table and into her lap. "Isn't she cute?"_ _

__"No." Three still hadn't moved from the doorway, scowling. "That thing has no business on a spaceship." He finally walked further into the room, pouring himself a glass of juice. He leaned against the wall instead of joining Five at the table._ _

__Five chucked Miki under the chin and cooed. "She's a stowaway, just like me!"_ _

__"How do you know it doesn't have any diseases? It's probably got poison teeth or something."_ _

__Five shook her head. "Android scanned her already, and she said she was harmless."_ _

__"Harmless my ass," Three muttered. "That thing should go right out the airlock."_ _

__"No!" Five clutched at the creature. It solemnly held her thumb in its tiny hand._ _

__Two appeared in the doorway, raising her eyebrows at Three's thunderous expression and Five's stubborn frown. "What's going on? Android told me to come find you." She raised her eyebrows at Five. "What have you got there?"_ _

__"I found her," Five said. She wiggled her thumb and smiled as the creature tightened its grip. "She was all alone and scared. She must have gotten into the shuttle somehow before we left Lyssa 7." She turned pleading eyes on Two. "Please, Two can we keep her? I’ve named her Miki, and I promise she won't be any trouble."_ _

__Frowning, Two said, "I don't know. This isn't really a good place for a pet."_ _

__"No way in hell," Three interrupted. "If you won't let me put it out the airlock, at least turn us around and bring it back to Lyssa 7. We haven't gone into FTL yet; we're not that far out."_ _

__"Android said she wasn't a threat." The creature squeaked softly and curled into a little ball, closing its eyes and letting out a big sigh. "And she's so cute! Please, Two."_ _

__Two sighed. "Five..."_ _

__Three threw up his hands. "Don't come crying to me when you contract some weird alien jungle disease."_ _

__Shaking her head, Two said, "I'm sorry, Five. We really should take it back to Lyssa 7. We don't know anything about what it really needs to be healthy, and Three's right -"_ _

__"Ha! That's something I don't hear every day," Three interrupted. He looked unbearably smug._ _

__Two flicked her hand at him and he subsided. "The Raza is really no place for an animal," she finished._ _

__Five looked sadly at Miki, who yawned and rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I guess. She probably would miss climbing trees."_ _

__"Luckily, we don't have anywhere to be in a hurry," Two said. She pressed her comm. "Android? Please change our heading back to Lyssa 7. We need to drop off our stowaway."_ _

__"Affirmative."_ _

__Five sighed. "I'll be in my quarters." She knew Two was right, but she had really wanted to keep the creature. Ever since she had laid eyes on it, she had wanted to protect it. It was nice, to have something so trusting, so sure that she could protect it, when the rest of the crew treated her like she couldn't even protect herself, most days._ _

__It wasn't fair. But when, really, had her life ever been fair?_ _

__"Also," she said, turning in the doorway to face Two and Three again, "we're out of coffee." It might have been petty, but she felt a little bolt of mischievous satisfaction at their twin groans._ _

__\---  
Interlude_ _

__It didn't have a name, besides the one the small human had given it. As far as it knew, it didn't have a people, either. All it knew was the mission._ _

__Make contact._ _

__Eliminate the targets._ _

__It climbed down from the bed and scampered across the floor, swinging itself easily up from the floor, to the chair, desk, and then scaling the wall to the vent. It took one last look at the small human, still sleeping, and then slipped silently into the duct, almost as if it had never been there at all._ _

__\---  
Two_ _

__"Nyx, hey, Nyx!" Two ran over to where Nyx lay, sprawled in the middle of the corridor. She knelt down, lifting Nyx's arm to check her pulse. It was steady but slow, and Two blew out a breath of relief before touching her comm._ _

__"Android, I need your help."_ _

__"On my way," Android immediately responded._ _

__Her comm lit up again. "What's going on?" Five asked. It was late, and it seemed she and Two were the only ones still awake._ _

__"I found Nyx; she's unconscious. I'm not sure what happened." Two looked around the corridor, but it looked like it always did. Metal bulkheads, grey walls, nothing out of place. She examined Nyx's body, and found what looked like a bite mark on her forearm that was sluggishly bleeding. Her stomach turned over._ _

__"Can she be moved?" Android asked, coming up behind Two._ _

__"I think so. Look." Two lifted Nyx's arm and the Android crouched down to examine the wound._ _

__Blinking, Android said, "It seems to be a bite wound made by a small creature with very sharp teeth. But she has not lost enough blood to explain her unconsciousness."_ _

__"No, she hasn't." Two stood as Android gathered Nyx in her arms. She tapped her comm. “Five, we’re heading to the infirmary.”_ _

__She followed Android, biting her lip. She knew that Five was convinced the creature was harmless, but she was worried that the girl would feel responsible for Nyx's illness. It seemed likely their newest stowaway was the cause._ _

__Five met them at the door to the infirmary, wringing her hands._ _

__Two exchanged a look with Android. "Do you know where Miki is?"_ _

__Biting her lip, Five shook her head. "I fell asleep earlier and when I woke up she was gone." Her voice trembled as she said, "Do - do you think she had something to do with this?"_ _

__"I don't know."_ _

__"I must run tests," Android said. "Upon preliminary examination of the body, we discovered a bite mark on the patient's proximal forearm, but I cannot conclude for certain if that is the cause of her unresponsiveness."_ _

__"I have to go." Five hurried out the door._ _

__Android blinked. "Perhaps you should go talk to her."_ _

__Two shook her head. "We need to find that creature, make sure it's not dangerous. You run your tests; I'll wake the others."_ _

__\---  
Android_ _

__The Raza was quiet, unnaturally so. Three was in his quarters, methodically breaking down his guns and cleaning them. Four, also choosing activity over thought, ran through katas in the gym, struggling to find the focus that normally came so easily. Two sat on the bridge, feet planted, arms crossed, studying a report of Nyx's movements in the last few hours. Six leaned on the wall of the infirmary by the door, one arm draped over Five's shoulders, watching Android analyze data and run more tests._ _

__And Nyx, her normally mobile and expressive face covered by an oxygen mask, lay on the exam table, the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed the only indication that she was still alive. Android blinked, and looked back to her monitors._ _

__"This is my fault," Five whispered. Her lip trembled and she closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill over._ _

__"Hey." Six squeezed her shoulders, leaning down so he could speak quietly in her ear. "This is not your fault, okay? You didn't know."_ _

__"I was the one who wanted to keep her!" Five turned to hug Six tightly, pressing her face into his chest. "Three wanted to bring her back." Her voice was muffled against Six's shirt._ _

__"Come on, now, you couldn't have known. You didn't even find it until we were all back on the Raza."_ _

__Five just shook her head, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand._ _

__Android turned away from the screen to face them. "I believe Nyx is suffering from a severe allergic reaction. I administered epinephrine to open her airway and increase her blood pressure, but whatever the toxin is, it simply slowed the reaction. If we put her in stasis, I will have time to analyze her blood and create an antidote to the toxin."_ _

__Six squeezed Five's shoulders. "We'll go prep the stasis chamber," he said._ _

__Blinking, Android looked down at Nyx. She touched the bite on Nyx's arm, where it was red and raised. "Don't worry, Nyx," she said. "We will figure it out. Everything will be okay, I promise."_ _

__\---  
Five_ _

__Five gripped Android's hand as the last stasis pod hissed closed. Four's face looked oddly young and vulnerable, in stark contrast to its appearance while he was awake. She kept her eyes on Four, as if she could pretend the majority of her crew weren't in the stasis pods lined up next to him._ _

__Two put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find it," she said. "Android, I want you to run a scan for lifeforms again."_ _

__"It has not shown up on any of my previous scans. I do not understand how it is evading detection."_ _

__Two squeezed her shoulder and let her go. "Four managed to wound it before it bit him. Was there enough blood for a sample?"_ _

__Android let go of Five's hand to hold up a small vial with a few rusty red flakes in it. "I am hopeful this will provide us more answers."_ _

__"What does she want? Why would Miki do this?" Five bit her lip._ _

__"It does not seem to be following standard animal behavioral patterns." Android blinked. "Perhaps the reason it has evaded my scans is connected with its purpose."_ _

__"Well, keep us updated," Two said._ _

__With one last look at the stasis chamber, Android nodded to Two and headed back to the infirmary._ _

__"We should stick together," Two said to Five. "Each person was alone when they were bitten. If we're together, we may force it to come out into the open and have a better chance of capturing it."_ _

__"Okay." The walk back to their living quarters was solemn. The air was different, Five thought, with so many of them in stasis. It felt like their footsteps echoed more, the lights a little harsher, the shadows that much darker._ _

__"Hey, Five, it will be okay. The Android will figure it out."_ _

__"You don't know that!" Five inwardly winced at the shakiness of her voice._ _

__"Let's face it, we've been in worse situations," Two said. "This is easy compared to getting stuck in an alternate reality, right?"_ _

__"Or getting chased by a murderous entertainment android."_ _

__"Making an enemy out of a cult that can predict the future."_ _

__They had reached Five's quarters, and she keyed open the door._ _

__"Look," Two said, "we've been in tough spots before. We can handle it."_ _

__"I hope you're right."_ _

__"I'm going to go grab some stuff from my quarters. I'll meet you back here."_ _

__Five hit the button to shut the door. She stood in the entrance for a moment, before she swept the pile of clothes off the bed and into her dresser, and cleared off the desk chair into a drawer. She pulled out an extra blanket from the compartment under her bed and sighed._ _

__The puzzle she had gotten on Lyssa 7 was on her desk, still in pieces. She was just about to pick it up when she heard a scratching noise from the vent above her head. The cover vibrated, then fell to the floor with a loud clang._ _

__Startled, Five backed away and stumbled over the chair, falling backwards to sit heavily on the floor. She scrambled on her hands and knees away from the vent as a golden head and two large eyes appeared out of the darkness. "Two," she yelled into her comm, "Two, she's here!"_ _

__\---  
Two_ _

__Bursting into Five's quarters, Two took in the scene at a glance. The creature had its jaws latched around the girl's forearm, blood mixing with saliva to drip onto the floor. She couldn't get a clear shot._ _

__She threw her gun onto the bed and palmed a knife instead. The creature turned and hissed at her approach. It leapt at her._ _

__It was _fast_. She caught it by the arm and flung it away from herself, away from Five. _ _

__She spared a glance behind her. Five was clutching her arm to her chest, eyes wide, tears tracking down her cheeks. She was breathing fast but didn't look like she was in danger of the same kind of allergic reaction that had taken down the rest of the Raza's crew._ _

___Yet_ , Two thought grimly. "Android, Five's been bitten," she said into her comm. _ _

__The creature was stunned, laying unmoving on the floor. Two picked it up, looking around for something to wrap it in, to restrain it until she could get it to the infirmary._ _

__Android hurried into the room and knelt in front of Five. "Let me take a look," she said in a soft voice._ _

__Two wrapped the creature in the blanket from Five's bed. "Can you stand?" she asked Five._ _

__Five nodded. She let Android help her up and leaned on her as they made their way to the door._ _

__Two followed them all the way to the infirmary before a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and she swayed on her feet. Her hand throbbed, and she looked down to see a bite mark on the web of her palm between her thumb and index finger. Her skin was raised and red around the wound. "Android," she said, and went down on one knee. Her lungs felt tight. Black spots swam in her vision and her pulse pounded, too fast, in her ears._ _

__"Two!" Five slipped out of Android's grasp and ran over to her. She glanced over her shoulder. "She's been bitten!."_ _

__"I'll be okay. My nanites -" Two had to stop as her head spun. The last thing she saw was Five and Android's worried faces as her world faded to black._ _

__\---  
Android_ _

__Android was frozen for a long second, torn between helping Five or Two._ _

__Five made the decision for her. "You have to help her." She picked up the creature that Two had been holding when she fainted. "I'm feeling okay, just a little shaky."_ _

__"Right." Android picked up Two's limp body with ease, carrying her with long strides to the exam table. She checked Two's pulse. It was elevated, but not as much as the others' had been. "Please sit down," she said to Five._ _

__"I really do feel fine," Five said, but she sat down on a stool next to the bed, still cradling the creature in her arms. "Why do I feel fine? I got bit before Two did."_ _

__"I do not know," Android replied. She took the creature from Five's hands. "Do you feel any dizziness or nausea? Shortness of breath?"_ _

__"Maybe I'm a little dizzy."_ _

__Android took a small blood sample from the creature, then walked it over to the isolation unit. She put it on the floor, still wrapped in the blanket, and activated the barrier. "I should scan for lifeforms again," she said. "I am certain that there was only one creature, but I also feel the need to double check that conclusion."_ _

__Another worrying deviation from her standard programming. She made a note in her private log._ _

__Five sat silently on the stool, holding Two's hand as Android analyzed the molecular structure of the creature's blood. "Interesting," she said._ _

__"What is it?" Five got up and came to stand next to her, peering at the screen._ _

__"The creature is infected with microbots."_ _

__"Microbots, not nanites?"_ _

__Android nodded. "Yes. Without the host, they are programmed to destroy themselves, which is why I was not able to detect them in the sample I had previously."_ _

__Five's eyes were wide. "Do you think _we're_ infected now? From the bite?"_ _

__Pausing to assess the data pouring into her feed, Android said, "No. You are clear. It seems their sole purpose was to change the creature's behavior in order to expose you to the toxin."_ _

__"I still don't understand why I feel okay," Five said. "And why Two's nanites aren't protecting her," she added._ _

__"They are, very slowly. Otherwise she would be in serious respiratory distress."_ _

__Five closed her eyes. After 2.4 minutes, she opened them again. "Hey, I have an idea."_ _

__"What is it?"_ _

__"So when we were on Lyssa 7 I got a puzzle at the marketplace that looked like a molecule. What if there's something in my bloodstream, some kind of chemical or molecule, that is neutralizing the poison?"_ _

__Android took a test kit out of the cabinet and unwrapped it. "Perhaps it is something in your past. A product of your upbringing, perhaps? A specific inoculation from your childhood or some genetic quirk people from your home planet have that makes you unpalatable as a host. We should test your blood as well."_ _

__Five obediently held out her arm._ _

__Android took a small sample from the antecubital area of Five's arm. She fed the sample into the computer. While she waited for the results, she checked Two's vitals. Stable, and improving. "She's getting better."_ _

__"Good." Five stared at the creature in the isolation unit. "We can't just leave Miki on Lyssa 7 like this," she said. "Is there any way to neutralize the microbots? Maybe then she'll revert back to her species' true behavior."_ _

__"A targeted electromagnetic pulse would disable the microbots," Android said._ _

__Brightening, Five said, "I should be able to rig one of the stunners to put out an EMP instead." She jumped up from the stool. "I'll go grab one from the armory."_ _

__"Wait." Android scanned the results of Five's blood test. "Are you familiar with the chemical composition of chocolate?"_ _

__\---  
Five_ _

__"One for you, one for you, and one for you!" Five set the last mug down on the table in front of Three with a flourish._ _

__"Thanks, kid," he said, but didn't move to pick up the steaming hot mug._ _

__"I still can't believe that this," Four gestured toward his mug, "is what cured us all."_ _

__"Chocolate contains many chemical compounds that are beneficial to human health." Android sat down at the table, holding her own mug. "It turns out that one of them was an effective counter to the toxins in the creature's saliva."_ _

__"Plus it tastes good." Five sipped her drink. "Much better than coffee."_ _

__"I wouldn't go that far," Six said._ _

__"Well, I, for one, am grateful to you both," Nyx said._ _

__Two held up her mug. "To Five and Android."_ _

__The others joined in the toast. Five grinned. She had a mug of hot chocolate, Miki was back on Lyssa 7 where she belonged, and her family was safe. She sat back in her chair and let the conversation wash over her. Two and Nyx ribbing Three, Four egging them on, Six laughing. Android smiled at her over the rim of her mug and Five smiled back. For the moment, all was right with the world._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide, Isis! Thank you for requesting this fandom. It's a favorite of mine, but I haven't written for it before. I hope you like it!


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